The ophthalmologist spoke about the possible causes of flies in front of the eyes

Most often, flies (dots, spots, stripes, etc.) appear in front of the eyes due to age-related changes in the structure of the vitreous body. It is a jelly-like substance in the eye, consisting of water and collagen. Igor Dutchin, a doctor of the highest category, Candidate of medical Sciences, chief physician of the 3Z clinic in Moscow, told Izvestia on August 10.

"The function of this substance is to help the eyeball maintain its shape, and it is also involved in refraction of light rays and focusing them on the retina. With age, destructive changes appear in the vitreous body — protein particles "stick together", forming dense, opaque structures," the doctor explained.

As they move through the vitreous body, they cast a shadow on the retina, which feels like floating objects in front of the eyes. Dutchin explained that people over the age of 50 complain of flies in front of their eyes more often. However, this does not require any active actions.

"Prolonged computer work, fatigue and stress can cause overexertion of the eye muscles and impaired blood circulation in the eyes, which can also increase the feeling of "flies"," the specialist added.

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If the flies in front of your eyes rarely appear and pass quickly on their own — they can easily be removed from your field of vision by simply moving your eyes — then there is no reason for alarm and urgent consultation with an ophthalmologist.

However, if the number of such objects has increased dramatically, flashes of light or sparks have appeared in front of the eyes, according to the expert, this may be a sign of vitreous detachment — in this case, you should contact a specialist immediately. Other causes of flies may include retinal tears or detachment, eye injuries that cause vitreous hemorrhage, inflammatory processes in various structures of the eyeball, and diabetic retinopathy (damage to the vessels supplying the retina with blood that develops 5-10 years after the onset of diabetes and can lead to blindness even in young people).

"All these are also quite serious problems that should be solved under the supervision of a specialist. However, only an ophthalmologist can correctly determine what exactly caused the appearance of flies and whether any measures need to be taken," the doctor concluded.

On July 31, ophthalmologist Anna Solovey told how to protect your eyes from excessive stress in the summer. According to her, you can use moisturizing drops, but their use should be carried out strictly on the recommendation of a doctor.

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